For Her Own Good
by AlwaysWrite
Summary: MY SEASON THREE. Tommy's in Montana and Jude is left reeling. First fic in the series of where I think the series should go. Mild Jommy, to be heavier later in the series. Takes place immediately after Date with the Night.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHORS NOTE(S): This is how I envision where Instant Star should go. This fic actually takes place (partly) in the middle of Date with the Night and immediately following. With any luck, there will be another story quickly that actually gets into my version of season three. For right now, Tommy is still in Montana and Jude is left reeling. They will interact more later in the series. Let me know your thoughts/ideas. I never know what will inspire a fic. Reviews a) let me know what I need to improve and b) encourage me to write more. Thank you.

* * *

DISCLAIMER: I don't own it, I don't make money off it, I don't even have the channel right now. DON'T SUE ME. 

Dedication: This is dedicated to my beautiful, talented, and patient friends/editors, Nia and Ellie. They are the reason you have a fic that is logical and almost completely error free. Anything else that's wrong with it started way back in my imagination. Thank you guys, forever and always.

_Italics: Thoughts_

* * *

There was no emotion visible on Tom Quincy's face as he pulled up next to the restaurant. Unless you knew him well you would never notice the tension radiating off him. 

"We don't have time for this," said a voice from the passenger seat.

"I'll be quick," Tom replied without looking at him.

"You could call when we get th—".

"I'm not calling here after we leave," Tommy responded harshly, frustration getting the better of him. "This isn't going to be something that will just get worked out, and I'll come back like nothing happened! Things have changed. I can't go back after this," he finished, regaining his calm.

A pause. "So you won't be telling her?"

It was getting harder and harder for Tommy to maintain his emotionless poise, but it was the only way he would be able to get through what he was about to do. "The more she knows, the more she'll dwell on it. I'll just…say I'm leaving. It'll be hard on her," _God, what an understatement_, "but it'll make it easier for her to go on." But would it be easier on him, knowing he was being forgotten?

The man leaned back, apparently appeased. But as Tommy opened the door, he heard again, "We still don't have time for this."

Tommy leaned down to look at the man. "Look," he said, dangerously quiet, "you came here to completely uproot my life. I am leaving behind my house, my stuff, my job, and several people I really care about, and I won't ever see them again. Let me do this one decent thing before I ruin everything."

The man stared back at him, seemingly unmoved. Finally, he leaned back, saying, "We have 40 minutes to get to the airport."

"Don't worry," Tommy said with a trace of bitterness. "I'll get us there."

As he slammed the door, Tommy took a deep breath, trying to regain the numbness he would need to say goodbye to Jude. He'd never make it if he allowed himself to be swayed by the hurt and confusion he'd see in her eyes. He had to leave. He _had_ to. This really was for the best. He always seemed to be messing up and hurting her. When he tried to make up for it, he made it worse. So he'd hurt her this one last time. She'd never believe that this time it really was for her own good. Then he'd put himself too far away to ever hurt her again. Tommy couldn't take it if she found out anyway. He knew how close they were. He could only hope this separation wouldn't break her.

God knows it was breaking him.

But he couldn't let her see that. So as he entered the restaurant, he assumed an air of detachment. As if he didn't care.

As if maybe this was happening to someone else. Anyone else.

He looked around the restaurant for her, wanting to get this over with. When he heard her voice from behind him, Tommy was overwhelmed with a strange mixture of peace and dread. "I thought you weren't coming!" she exclaimed with a grin.

Tommy stared at her, revealing nothing. He memorized how she looked, not with affection, but with mechanical accuracy, like a camera. Hair spilling over her shoulders, eyes bright, slight smile. He needed to remember her like this. Remember how she looked before he wrecked her world. He had one picture of Jude with him, in his wallet. Everything else was in his house, abandoned in his rush. It was taken candidly by Kwest; they were on the couch at G-Major. His arm was around her and he looked happy and content as she leaned into him, laughing at something out of frame.

In about ten minutes, that photo and his memory of her sitting in front of him would be the last image he had of her when he was still in her life. After that, any other photo he saw, in the news, in the tabloids, would be of her life minus Tommy Q. He stared a little longer, prolonging the inevitable.

Her smile slipped a little, seeing the expression, or lack thereof, on his face. "A-Are you gonna sit?" she asked with a confused smile.

With his last bit of feeling, Tommy took a breath. _I'm so sorry Jude_, he though, before he clamped down on that emotion and steeled himself to the task before him.

"I have to leave," he monotoned as confusion began to cloud her eyes.

The meaning of his words was only beginning to seep in. "Sit," Jude implored again, a little desperately. She was looking for an explanation, but Tommy couldn't give her one.

For her own good.

Tommy looked out the window to his car, where the tuxedoed man sat in his passenger seat, staring into the restaurant, waiting.

Time was running short. Tommy took a breath to finish what he had started. Looking down at her again, as if he didn't really see her, he spoke. "I've got a flight to catch. I…don't think I'll be coming back." The pain was beginning to enter her eyes, even if she didn't fully understand. Yet. Jude had always worn her heart on her sleeve. _You don't care_. Tommy reminded himself to stay detached. _You don't care, you don't care, you don't_—maybe repeating it would make it true.

"Bye." He finished with a casual shrug. What more was there to say? He looked at her one last time before walking out of the restaurant and out of her life.

"Tommy!" He heard a few seconds later, but refused to turn around. He had to go and she couldn't follow. Her life was here, and without him; she could make something of it.

He opened the door and started the car while sliding in next to his passenger. Tommy could still here Jude's desperate shouts, but he showed no sign that he cared.

He put the car into drive as the last "Tommy!" faded into an imagined echo. Tommy pulled away and went down the street as if nothing was wrong. As if he didn't care that he was leaving behind the girl who understood him better than anyone he'd ever known.

_I doubt she'll understand this_, he thought. _Then again, neither do I_.

After a minute, his passenger turned toward Tommy. "She was pretty," he commented, either not seeing or ignoring how Tommy's hands were gripping the steering wheel. "Seemed like she'd understand how you—".

"Shut up." Tommy's tone brooked no argument. "Not a word until we're out of this godforsaken city."

He had made it through the hardest part. He would not sink into the black hole that was his life without Jude. He would catch his flight, get to the address on the piece of paper in his pocket, and sort everything out. Then he could begin his new life. He had too much to do. He could break down later.

He had the rest of his life to be miserable.


	2. Chapter 2

Jude had read somewhere that people who have been through a traumatic experience eventually shut down. They become so overwhelmed with emotion that they just go numb and stop feeling anything at all.

Jude hoped she'd hit that point soon.

Because right now, all she wanted to do was find a dark corner, curl up into a ball, and pretend that this was not her life. She really didn't understand how she had made it this far at all. She supposed it was because the main thing she felt (besides sharp pain and agonizing loss) was confusion. What was she supposed to do now? Jude knew she was supposed to do _something_. But until she figured out what, she reverted back to what she knew: listen to Darius.

"…hit number one _before_ they have a breakdown…" She tried to focus back in on what

D was saying, but it was a struggle to pull her attention away from both the newspaper in front of her and her memories from last night.

"Go home and get some sleep. I want to see you in my office tomorrow by ten." She shot him a bewildered glance. He chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not putting you straight back to the grindstone. I just want to discuss what you'll do the next couple of weeks. We need to do something to follow up your second album. But I think we'll be alright. It'll just be ideas I want you thinking about. Something tells me you'll be doing a lot of thinking for a while," he finished with a pitying look.

"But today, try and take care of yourself," Darius added before walking way. "Jude, remember." She looked up. "You're number one," he said with a grin.

After crossing the street, he looked back to see Jude still standing on the corner, looking at the newspaper. "Jude!" he yelled. Her head snapped up. "Home! Now!" She gave him a small smile and started walking back to Jaime's car as Darius continued on his way.

It seemed like the walk back took forever. Finally, Jude arrived, seeing both Jaime and Sadie leaning on Jaime's car, waiting for her. Spotting her, they got up to meet her.

"So how'd it go?" Jaime asked worriedly. The same worry was reflected in her sister's eyes. Jude sighed and gave them a tired smile. She wouldn't tell them about her song. Not yet.

"It's fine. They didn't drop me or anything. In fact…" she attempted to look cheered, "they're kind of giving me a chance to catch my breath before going back. They figured I might need it after…everything."

Sadie moved to put her arm around Jude's shoulders. Jude leaned into her, closing her eyes. Her head still hurt like hell from last night's party.

"Well, it's nice that Darius gave you the break," Sadie said softly. "Want me to take you home?"

Jude took a breath. "Actually Sadie, I-I'm not sure if I can handle being home right now. Dad'll want to know—and I just can't—"

"It's okay," Sadie reassured her, looking at Jaime.

Jaime took that as his cue. "I could take her to her studio. We've still got blankets there. I'm pretty sure she needs more sleep."

Despite how good sleep sounded, Jude shook her head. "What if Spied or the guys are there? I really can't see them after I ditched them last night."

"Jude, I don't think they're mad," Jaime said. "I think they understand."

"Plus," Sadie interjected, seeing Jude about to protest, "I saw how much junk those boys consumed last night before we came and got you. I'm pretty sure they're in the middle of an intense sugar coma."

"And I'll make certain they stay clear for the next day," Jaime finished.

Jude smiled; the first genuine smile she'd had since Monday. "Okay. You win," she replied softly. "Sadie, could you talk to Dad? Just tell him I'm okay, but I'm upset about the performance and I don't want to talk about it. Kay?"

Sadie nodded. "Okay. Jude, just—let me know if you need me, alright?" she said seriously. Jude gave her a half-hearted nod as she walked around to Jaime's car. Jaime gave Sadie a concerned shrug before turning back to his car.

Sadie gave them a small wave as Jaime pulled out onto the street. _Well_, she thought. _This is awkward. Question is…what do I do now?_

She stood there a moment longer before shaking her head and taking off towards her own car. Right now, she had to give Dad Jude's flimsy excuse for her absence. She'd work out the complications later. Her duty as the 'big sister' was calling her. It was a tough job, but she wouldn't trade it for the world.

Jaime made record time getting to the studio. He opened the door to the dilapidated building and ushered Jude inside. They had stopped by a convenience store, where he had made sure to pick up some food and other essentials. One of the unfortunate side effects of Jude's breakdowns was that she seemed to not realize, or care, that she still had to meet some physical demands. Like food. And sleep.

Having been Jude's best friend for…ever, Jaime had come to learn that in the midst of a crisis, Jude needed everything laid out for her. You couldn't push her to do anything of her own accord. She had to be guided, cajoled, until she was back on her feet.

Thus, he sat Jude down with a sandwich and water while he rushed around, grabbing blankets and pillows from around the room. He kept an eye on her as he piled the comforters on the couch, making certain she actually ate. Jaime went on with endless small talk to fill the silence, discussing anything except the topic that weighed most heavily on their minds.

When Jaime was satisfied with the food she had consumed, he pulled out a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a brush out of a plastic bag. Smiling, he said, "You have five minutes Harrison. And then I'm coming in, assuming you drowned."

Although the statement didn't receive the desired response (a smile), Jude took the things from Jaime and reappeared five minutes later. She still looked like her world had collapsed, but not as if she had spent the previous night trashed in a hotel room.

Jude walked over to the couch and took off her shoes. She lay down and Jaime pulled the covers up around her. She continued staring off into space although, Jaime observed, she no longer had a petrified look in her blue eyes.

Jaime sat beside her, stroking her hair. "Well," he said. Jude said nothing. "I think you've got some clothes here from last time, for when you wake up. And there are granola bars and juice and gummi worms still in the bag. The alarm on your cell is set for nine. And you know I'm just a phone call away if you need anything. Anything. Sadie too," he added anxiously.

"Thanks," Jude said after a moment.

Jaime sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jude…okay, I'm not going to ask if you're okay, because obviously you're not. I mean, who would be? I'm not even going to ask you the details of last night. Yet. But—come on. You're my best friend. Tell me something—anything—I can do to make this easier."

Unfortunately, they both knew there was nothing really. "Jaime," Jude said, really meeting his eyes for the first time that day. "Don't worry. I swear, I'm not going to run away again, or commit suicide or anything."

Jaime smiled slightly. It was good to hear Jude make fun of him. "I do worry. Admit it Harrison. You don't always do the best job of taking care of yourself. Last night notwithstanding."

She slapped at him lightly. "Why should I when you do such a good job, Andrews?"

He chuckled and she gave another small smile before they both lapsed into silence again.

Jaime broke it first. "Are you sure there isn't anything else I can do for you?"

Jude looked away. "Just…do you mind staying for a bit? Till I fall asleep?"

Jaime grinned. "Your wish is my command, dear lady," he replied with mocking gallantry. He settled himself more comfortably beside her as Jude burrowed into the cushions.

Jude felt weariness stealing over her and she yawned.

"Jaime, I know you think I'm ignoring what happened. And I know sleeping won't make it go away," she murmured, exhaustion freeing her tongue. "It'll probably be worse tomorrow. But I can't do this today. I'm so tired, and if I think about it, him, I might—"

"It's okay, Jude." Jaime whispered with a smile. "Wait for a day. Get back into fighting shape. The drama will wait. That's what I'm here for."

"Thanks, Jaime," she murmured, looking into his dark brown eyes.

As she slipped into slumber, she saw something else entirely. With her last conscious effort, she tried to convince herself that the eyes she saw were Jaime's chocolate ones. They were definitely not light, ice-blue orbs set above a mischievous half-grin.

Definitely not.


	3. Chapter 3

When Jude woke up, it was the gradual awakening that follows a very deep sleep. Her body was up some moments before her mind was fully alert.

Then memory returned, as it often does, slamming into her with the force of a wrecking ball. Jude didn't need to look around and wonder what she was doing at her studio. That awful knowledge from the night before last was clamoring for her attention. Ruthlessly, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her brain. Just because she _could_ think about that now didn't mean she _had_ to. There had to be a better time for that.

She rose, almost mechanically, and went to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and hair, and splashed water on her face. Jude walked out, feeling slightly better, and checked her phone.

"Dear God," she swore when she saw the time. 6:33 in the a.m. She was becoming an early riser. It was _his_ fault. She had started getting up early after she had told To—him she'd meet him after saying goodbye to Mason. Had it really only been three days ago?

Never mind. Getting up really early didn't count if one had already slept just short of twelve hours.

Jude helped herself to the food Jaime had left her. She brushed her teeth again. Got changed. Went around putting back blankets and pillows. She sat down once more and looked at her cell.

7:16

Still over two hours before she had to leave to meet Darius. Jude shifted in her chair as she looked around.

Now she was alone, with nothing to distract her. This was definitely not what she needed. But where else would she go? Home was out. She wasn't going to G-Major until she absolutely had to. Jude was not calling Jaime to bail her out again. Besides, he was coming back to give her a lift to see Darius. She could handle two hours on her own.

A nagging voice in the back of her head reminded her of everything she had ignored last night. Again, Jude pushed it away, instead turning her thoughts to her meeting, trying to feign interest in a part of her life that she wished had never happened. Nothing was worth this agony.

Thinking of the meeting, a peculiar feeling crept over her. As if she were spectating her own life. It felt weird too, that she had a meeting with Darius. Part of it, she was sure, was to discuss the impact that _his_ departure would have on her career. Judging by D's smile and swagger, he already had a plan. And Jude would follow it. What was she fighting against now, anyway? And then, she would continue. There would be concerts, rehearsals with SME, songs to write, record, and sell. Tom Quincy was no more than a speed bump on her road.

Jude closed her eyes against the sudden stab of pain she felt as his name echoed through her mind. _Oh my God_, she thought bleakly, _what am I going to do?_

Somehow, Jude gathered her strength and forced her thoughts back under her control. _No_, she thought fiercely. _No. If he can continue without a second thought, so can I_.

She got up and gathered her stuff. She couldn't stay here like this. She'd only get swallowed up in her own thoughts. Jude grabbed her cell and dialed Jaime. There was no way he'd be up yet.

"Hey Jaime, it's Jude," she said after his voicemail came on. "Listen, thanks for everything yesterday. Really. I feel much better." Too cheerful; he'd never buy that. "I can't sleep any more, so I'm gonna take off for G-Major on my own. So…I guess I won't need a ride. Thanks though. We'll talk later, okay?" If he thought she was ready to talk, he wouldn't worry so much. "Bye."

That done, Jude double-checked for her stuff and then made her way outside. As she stepped out of the freight elevator, she couldn't stop every memory from leaking into her thoughts. Her bootleg party after getting this loft, her seventeenth birthday…

She walked quickly through the hall to the outside door, hearing imagined echoes in the air.

_Tell me you love me like a star_

_Tell me you want me, wherever you are_

_Tell me you'll breathe me till your last breath_

_Liar, liar_

Jude pushed open the door into the morning sunlight. She just wouldn't think about it. The past was past. She was sure the echoes would fade eventually.

It would just take some time.

It was ten till ten when Jude arrived at G-Major. She took a breath and walked up to the door. Just as she put her hand on the handle, a hand with black-painted nails reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Hey," Patsy said.

"H-Hey," Jude answered, trying not to show she was startled.

Patsy looked in through the glass doors, then around the street. "So…what's up?"

Jude glanced around, questioningly. "Nothing." What was Patsy doing?

Patsy took a breath. "So, listen," she began in her monotone. "Darius told me you might not be in a 'talky' sort of mood today, so he asked me to take you into his office the back way. You won't need to go through the reception desk and everything."

Jude thought about walking through the halls with everyone knowing, and staring.

"Good idea," she replied. Patsy nodded and led her into a nearby alley.

After several moments of silence, Jude broke it. "Hey, thanks for covering for me last

night. I heard you were great."

Patsy chuckled. "Yeah, it was kind of a trip. Satisfied some people, but most still wanted to see you." Oddly enough, Jude felt slightly better, hearing that. "Your guys are alright too. Still, better you than me. I'm not a babysitter. They were worried about you."

Jude looked down. "Yeah, they're on my list of people I need to apologize to."

Patsy snorted. "I wouldn't be too worried. But they do want to see you. Spiederman really wanted to meet you here, but Darius told him the last thing you'd need were pressing questions along with—" she stopped abruptly.

Jude's head snapped up to look at her. "Along with what?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." Patsy said with her best effort at an honest smile.

Jude walked in front of her and stared. Patsy sighed. She was good at a lot of shady stuff. Lying was not one of them. She usually just confessed, damn the consequences. For this, Patsy really wished she had gotten more practice in deceiving people.

"Along with all the gossip," she finished with a reluctant nod.

Jude drew back. "What do you mean?"

Patsy leaned against the wall. "The main reason Darius sent me to bring you in this way. Everyone in there's been chatting about your disappearing act. There've been polls, guessing how much of a wreck you'd be once you came in, and what really happened after he left."

Jude stared at her in horror. "How long has this been going on?"

"…yesterday." Patsy gave her a sympathetic look. "People have been waiting for you to come back. You're the hottest news right now. Ever since that pretty-boy of yours took off—"

"Don't call him that!"

Patsy stared in surprise. Jude looked as fierce as she'd ever seen her.

"He's not _'my'_ anything. Okay?"

Jude closed her eyes and took some deep breaths. She groaned and leaned her forehead against the brick wall. Patsy, feeling awkward, waited for her to calm down.

Finally, Jude was able to push her thoughts to the back of her mind. Still breathing deeply, Jude said, "So they're waiting for me? Well, it's only going to get worse till I see them. I might as well get it over with." She spun back around to head towards the front entrance.

Patsy grabbed her arm. "Jude, don't," she said. Jude looked back at her fiercely. "Look, I understand that you want to go back in there and tell all those idiots to shove it. You can do that any time. I only brought you because Darius was sure you didn't need that right now. You can face down the vultures later."

Jude held her eyes a moment longer before sighing and turning around again. They walked in silence till they reached G-Major's back entrance.

"Well, here it is," Jude said, walking up the steps. "Thanks."

"No prob," Patsy replied, watching her. "Listen, I'm not really good at this kind of stuff, but, if you needed to, you know, talk or something…you could call me. If you want."

Jude smiled. "I'll remember that. Thanks."

Patsy nodded and started walking off. Jude had one foot in the door when she heard

Patsy. "Jude?"

"Yeah?" she asked, facing her.

"Want me to knock some sense into that guy? Literally?"

Jude tried to smile. She wished she _could_ take Patsy up on her offer, but not for the obvious reasons. If Patsy was beating sense into Tommy, at least she would know where he _was_.

"I'll think about it," Jude answered.

Patsy nodded before swaggering off. Jude watched her a second longer before stepping inside G-Major and closing the door.

She recognized this hallway. Jude approached Darius' door and knocked softly. She waited for the command, "Come in!" before turning the knob and stepping inside.

He motioned for her to take a seat as he finished his phone call. 300, to Tokyo, by Tuesday, or something like that. She sat in the chair facing his desk, fidgeting until he hung up.

"Jude," he said, turning to face her head-on. "Right on time. Excellent." He grinned; the grin adults give to clueless children.

She returned the grin weakly. "I try."

He nodded. "Good, good. So how you holding up?"

Her breath felt harsh in her throat. "Alright. Not great, but hey, past is past, right?"

Darius clapped his hands together. "Excellent. That's exactly the kind of attitude we'll need."

Jude gave him an awkward smile and nod. She really didn't know what, if anything, she was supposed to say.

"But all of us here at G-Major understand that last night was rough on you. It doesn't excuse running out of a show," he shot her a look, "but it's easier to see your point of view."

Jude stared at the carpet. "It won't happen again, D."

He had walked around to her chair and pulled up his own. He sat with her at eye-level. "I know," he answered seriously when she raised her eyes to his. "You're growing up, Jude. You're starting to see how all this," he gestured vaguely, encompassing the world, "works. Not all of it's pretty. But you can take it. Now you know."

She looked down once more, and then nodded. She got it.

Darius smiled. "Alright. Now like I said, I'm not going to swamp you right away. Today's…Thursday?" Jude nodded. "Perfect. Would you be ready to come in Monday to start on your follow-up work?"

Jude shifted in her chair. "Um…sure, I guess. But D, I'm not clear on what you mean by 'follow-up work.'"

Darius smiled. "Piece of cake. Mainly, it's just about keeping you visible till we can see exactly how well your second album is doing. He caught her apprehensive look. "Don't worry," he consoled. "I know you're afraid this album will flop. But trust me; this one is ten times better than your first. Plus, Liam has assured me the market for your style is much more receptive now."

"Ah. Liam. Well, he knows what he's doing," Jude replied with false cheer.

"Look, don't worry about Liam either," Darius continued. "I know he was upset about what you did." _Understatement of the century_, Jude thought. "But I'll take care of it. First and foremost, Liam knows business. And I have chosen to remain in business with you."

Jude looked at his firm stance. "Thank you," she said gratefully.

"Jude, a word of advice. When people put their trust in you, don't look so surprised. We expect great things of you. Don't tell me your expectations are less than ours. Where was I?"

"Um, follow-up work."

"Right. You'll do public appearances, a quick cover performance or two. We might need a new song, sort of a preview to your next album—"

"Next?"

Darius gave her an exasperated look. "Sorry, go on."

"Preview to your next album. A couple of interviews, and that's it for several weeks. After we get the results for your album, we'll talk touring or promotionals."

Jude thought about what he had just said. Then, "Yeah. I think that's good, D. I'll do it."

"Great," Darius answered with a smile. Then, more somberly, he continued. "Jude, I need you to understand that after everything that happened, things are obviously going to change for you."

Jude pursed her lips and nodded quickly.

Darius took both her hands in his. "I'm not talking huge changes, a new style or anything. For one, you'll obviously need a new producer. Don't worry; they'll be good. But I don't think you completely realize what this means."

"See, for managers, producers are our direct link to our artists. They get to know you well enough to advise us on exactly _how_ we should be managing you. Needless to say, this is going to affect a lot of different areas in your career. New producer means new chapter. This shakes some artists pretty bad. Everyone knows how close you and Tom were."

It took all Jude's strength not to flinch; both at Tommy's name and the past tense 'were'.

"…especially since he was your first producer. Now that you've seen the music industry from the inside, it's going to feel a lot more like you're on your own. It's hard, and scary, especially with Tommy gone. Do you think you can handle it?"

Jude looked back at him, fire in her eyes. "I can do it," she stated in a low voice.

Darius grinned. "Jude, I believe you can. Despite everything. You were a rockstar before

Tom Quincy and you can be a rockstar after him."

_You're the real thing, girl. You're even better._

Jude shook the voice out of her head. "Alright. Let's do this. Anything else?"

"That's it for now. Go home and rest. You'll have work to do when you come back. If you feel overwhelmed, don't hesitate to come to me. I mean, I am a very important man," the cocky smile was back on Darius' face, "but I could find some time now and then. Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

Jude briefly considered mentioning the holes in her memory concerning the night before last. Something about Mason's room, and a blurry image, _click click_…

"Not really, D. See you Monday."

"Count on it, Jude," he replied when they heard a knock at the door. "Come in!"

The door opened and Kwest poked his head in. "You wanted to see me, D?" Then he took notice of Darius' other visitor. "Jude! Hey. What's going on?" he asked carefully.

She shrugged. "Not much," she began before Darius interrupted her.

"Jude, go home and rest up. I want you fresh on Monday. You two can catch up then."

"Sure, D," Jude replied awkwardly. "See ya, Kwest."

Kwest nodded goodbye as Jude made her way out. She had almost shut the door when she turned back and asked, "Darius?"

He turned. "Yeah?"

Jude shifted, uncomfortably aware of Kwest's eyes on her. "D-Do you know where he went?"

There was silence in the room as Darius stared at her. Finally, he answered.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Quincy has decided that his location is no longer G-Major's business. We've decided to leave it at that," he said meaningfully.

Jude looked as though she had reached a conclusion on something. "Okay," she said softly. "Thanks." And then she walked out, closing the door behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

Kwest watched the door until he heard it click shut. He turned back around as Darius sighed. "Can't help but feel sorry for the kid."

"No kidding," Kwest replied. "She just seems to attract trouble."

"Don't I know it."

Kwest glanced back at the door. "Hey, D, can we make this kind of quick? I want to try and catch Jude before she leaves."

"No problem, as long as you don't keep her long." Darius reached into a drawer and pulled out some files. "I asked you here mainly because I want you to be Jude's new producer."

Kwest smiled, relieved. "Sure, D. I was going to ask you that at the end of this meeting

anyway."

"Good. I really think you've got the makings of a great producer. With Jude's talent and the equipment available to you, this could be big. Plus, you two seem to get along, and she's gonna need people she can count on to get her through these next few weeks."

Kwest nodded with a sad smile. "On a more serious note, I don't suppose you have any idea where Tom is?"

Kwest, who had expected this, answered quickly, "Honestly man, if I had any idea where he is right now, I'd be there, asking him what the hell he was thinking." It wasn't a complete lie; he had no idea what Tommy had been thinking. Darius sighed.

"Well, it was worth a shot." He seemingly stared at the wall for a moment before continuing in a resigned voice. "This really is a shame. From the first demo I heard, I knew Jude and Tom had this amazing chemistry."

At this, Kwest quickly looked down at the floor. Apparently Darius had no idea exactly how much chemistry the two had.

Thankfully, Darius continued on without noticing. "The music they made was fantastic…not that I don't think you'll do just as well," he said with a glance at Kwest.

Kwest nodded for him to continue. "But I don't know. I thought those two really had something." Darius sat down without looking at him.

"We all did," Kwest said. Darius nodded, still staring at the air in front of him.

After a few moments of silence, Kwest, taking his cue to leave, got up and started towards the door. He was about to step out when he heard Darius say quietly, to himself,

"But maybe it's for the best."

Kwest immediately stuck his head back into the office. "What, D?"

Darius looked up at him expressionlessly. After a moment, he relented. "I said that despite all of the problems this is going to cause, maybe Tommy leaving will be better in the long run."

Kwest walked back into the office and shut the door. "What do you mean?" he asked with a perplexed look. He leaned back against the wall as he waited for Darius to answer.

Darius looked at him levelly, as if considering where to begin. "Well," he said with a small smile. "A chick can't fly till it leaves the nest, right?"

Kwest had a feeling the rest of this conversation would not be pleasant. He crossed his arms as he waited for Darius to make his point. "I'm not sure I follow."

"Well, in this case, the nest kind of left the chick. But the result is the same." Darius' smile slipped after Kwest refused to smile at his play on words. He sighed. "Look man, you're not gonna like hearing this, but I'll be straight with you. I was just thinking that in the long run, we might be able to take Jude's career farther now that Tommy's out of the picture."

Kwest fought down his rising frustration. "How do you figure that? A few minutes ago all you could talk about was the chemistry of Tommy and Jude's music." Darius snorted derisively.

"Come on, Kwest. You know as well as I do that the music industry isn't always about the music. Sometimes, it has to do with everything _but_ music."

Kwest stared at him. "Why don't you spell this out for me, because I'm still not seeing how Tommy's absence helps Jude."

Darius gave him a regretful smile. "Tommy's absence helps _Jude_ in the long run. It helps _us_ along the way." He continued, ignoring Kwest's expression. "Tommy's always been a bit of a rebel in this industry. Even after he grew up from _Frozen_, he still had the tendency to go against any kind of restriction, even when the restrictions probably could have helped him.

"Enter Jude. All along, she's known what she's wanted: her music, done her way which is partly why she and Tommy got on so well. Kindred spirits. Tommy knew the loopholes and politics of the industry, but as a producer, had no outlet for rebellion. Jude wanted to be a rebel, but being new meant she had no idea how to do so without being dropped. Together? A perfect team for them and a perfect headache for me."

Kwest finally found his voice. "So you think with Tommy gone, you can have complete control over her? Turn her into another pop act?"

Darius put both his hands up. "No, no. Stop being so melodramatic. It's just…Tommy and Jude got very good at defying 'the system'. They made it routine to do so. The music was good, but in this business, you can't become _routine_ in anything. They tried to be all about the music and you can't be all about the music anymore, or you don't sell records. And artists who don't sell records don't make music for very long."

Kwest closed his eyes and took a breath. "So what are you proposing we do?"

Darius sat back in his chair. "Nothing. We just guide her along the way. Tommy molded her somewhat, and we'll do the rest. We won't change her sound much, or stem her creativity. Marketing, what music we play, the kinds of songs or publicity we need, she'll usually decide."

"But she has no idea how to do any of that stuff," Kwest interjected.

Darius smirked. "Exactly." He leaned forward again. "She will go to the only people who she trusts for advice on music. You. Her dad. And me. She'll learn to stand on her own, and until she does, we can sway her towards choices that are good for her."

"Good for us, you mean."

That remark earned Kwest a cool glare. "As her label, what's good for us is good for her. And vice-versa."

"You don't mean good for her, you mean for her career! You don't care if this kills her. I'm not going to help you manipulate her. If you try—"

"You'll what?" Darius asked with disdain. "Quit?" There was silence as that word seemed to echo through the room.

Darius took a deep breath. "Kwest, I told you you wouldn't like this, but this is how it's gotta be. Tommy's gone. We don't know if he's coming back. He was Jude's mentor, not just her producer. She's growing up; she has to start making decisions on her own. Her parents can't do this for her. It's always messy with parents involved anyway."

"Unfortunately, Tommy more than made up for that. He babied her. But now, without Tommy, it only makes sense that she'll go to us for advice, right?"

Darius looked over to him, but Kwest refused to meet his eyes. "What are you going to do? Tell her what makes her happy, even if it trashes her sales? Or tell her what she needs to do to keep on making music, until she figures out the rest on her own?"

Kwest remained silent. Darius sighed. "Look man, I can't stop you from quitting, pulling a Tommy. But if you leave, that girl isn't going to have anyone here watching her back. She's not my only artist. That's why I need you. Jude's going places, and you can help her get through it. _If_ you stick around."

Finally, Kwest looked up. "I'm gonna go find Jude," he said quietly.

Darius gave him a tired nod before returning to his paperwork.

"You're wrong about something though," Darius said as Kwest opened the door. Kwest turned to look back at him. "I do care what happens to Jude. She's a good kid. But this is business; she's not the first or last person to get hurt in this industry. And she's got to grow up sometime."

Kwest gave him a quick nod and shut the door, on his way to catch up with Jude. His life had just become vastly more complicated. Jude's well-being, music, _and_ career were now largely in his hands. He hurriedly walked down the hall. Hopefully Jude didn't run into too many people who would only want to gossip about Tommy's departure.

As he walked, Kwest thought back on his conversation with Darius. He understood what D was saying. Really. It made sense. It was all for Jude's own good. It was not as deceitful and manipulative as it seemed.

Maybe, if he kept telling himself that, he'd believe it by the time he found Jude.


End file.
